• by Karl Greenberg , July 8, 2010

Chrysler is letting people drive its new vehicles for free for a couple of months to see if they like them. The automaker is launching a new incentive program that lets buyers return vehicles within 60 days if they aren't happy. Chrysler says it will also make the first two months' payments for the buyer, up to $500 per month.

Chrysler is putting all of the offers under one tent, literally, with its first-ever nationally coordinated summer retail event called the "National Tent Event" at over 2,000 Chrysler Group dealerships.

Other incentives the company is promoting as an alternative to the 60-day free programs include a new 0% financing offer on most 2010 model year vehicles that are financed through GMAC Financial Services through Aug. 2 and a raft of other financing and customer cash incentives for each of the four brands and specific vehicles. Chrysler, Dodge Truck and Dodge are offering customers cash up to $3,000; Jeep is offering up to $4,000.

A Chrysler spokesperson says the efforts will be backed with national advertising starting July 12 from each of the four brands. "Each will have its own advertising," he says. Dodge is calling its 60-day program "60-Day Test Drive"; Chrysler's is the "Regret-Free Purchase Pledge"; Dodge Ram is running a "60-Day Handshake." Jeep hasn't come up with a moniker yet.

Chrysler launched an initial test-drive pledge program on Feb. 11 called "The Minivan Pledge" for the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country. The effort ran through this week. "Those were very successful, and we continued through July 6, so we decided to launch a new program that included virtually all of our vehicles," he says.

Online auto research and shopping site Edmunds.com says that across the industry, incentives are actually flat this month. The Los Angeles firm says that the average was $2,661 per vehicle sold in June -- down $36 from May -- and down $196 -- or 6.9% -- from June 2009.

Edmunds says domestics averaged $3,471 per vehicle in June, up from $3,460 in May. But European automakers decreased incentives spending by $19 to $2,334 per vehicle sold; Japanese automakers by $97 to $1,895 per vehicle sold; and Korean automakers by $6 to $1,775 per vehicle sold.

Chrysler Group spent $3,295 on average in June -- making it No. 2 in spend after GM, which spent $3,808 on average. Honda was lowest, at $1,504.